Retired Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, a former Minister of Interior, has raised alarm over the escalating insecurity in Northern Nigeria, warning that bandits and insurgents have gained such control that they are now enforcing laws and collecting taxes in some communities.
Speaking at the First Media and Security Summit in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, with the theme “Existential Threats and National Security,” Dambazau noted that the security challenges have persisted for over two decades, affecting states including Katsina, Borno, Zamfara, and Kano.
“People have been killed in mosques, and communities have suffered from clashes between herders and farmers, terrorism, and banditry.
We have reached a stage where bandits and insurgents are running some communities, levying taxes, and making laws,” he said.
He added that thousands of lives have been lost, millions displaced, and numerous families rendered widows and orphans. Farmers have lost crops, and herders’ cattle have been rustled, often with little response from authorities.
Dambazau urged northern governors to establish Ministries of Mineral Resources and collaborate with federal agencies to harness natural resources, increase state revenues, and reduce poverty, which he said is a key driver of insecurity.
He also recommended restoring traditional institutions, improving agricultural productivity, addressing out-of-school children, and promoting social inclusion as critical steps toward security.
“Over 70 percent of those affected by poverty and insecurity are from the North. Religious extremism continues to fuel violence, with groups such as Boko Haram, Lakurawa terrorists, and bandits targeting communities,” Dambazau emphasized.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, also called for collective action to resolve the crisis, stressing that security is everyone’s responsibility.
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa and Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi echoed the need for regional cooperation to address the root causes of insecurity and find sustainable solutions.
